The invention relates to a pack, in particular a cigarette pack, consisting of at least one pack container surrounding the contents of the pack, preferably of the soft pack type, and an outer wrapping made of foil or the like which, when the pack is taken into use, is at least partly removed, the pack container having a tear-open or opening tab delimited by folding and/or by weakening lines.
In packs for goods of mass consumption, in particular in cigarette packs, the problem exists of easy opening of the pack, which is simple for the consumer to perform, when the pack is (first) taken into use. In cigarette packs of the soft pack type in particular, it is usual, in the region of one end wall of an inner wrapping made of tin foil, to tear out a part region of the end wall carefully by hand and in this way to fashion a removal opening. Attempts have already been made, with the aid of perforation lines, to produce an opening tab which is easier to remove, but this still allows only unsatisfactory handling.
The object of the invention is therefore to make the opening of a pack, in particular a cigarette pack, easier when first taken into use.
To achieve this object, the pack according to the invention is characterized in that the opening tab of the pack container is connected to the outer wrapping in such a manner that, when the outer wrapping is removed, the tear-open tab can be moved into an opening position or separated from the pack container.
Accordingly, the inventive idea consists in the opening tab of a pack, in particular an opening tab defined by perforations or in another manner, being automatically removed or at least moved into an opening position, when the outer wrapping is removed. To this end, the opening tab, but if appropriate the top of a pack also, is connected by gluing to the outer wrapping made of foil or to that part of the outer wrapping to be removed. Accordingly, when the outer wrapping is completely or partly removed when the pack is first taken into use, this brings about automatic opening of the tab.
In a soft pack, one end wall consists of tearable material, that is to say of tin foil (inner wrapping of a conventional soft pack) or of paper (pack according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,186). The end wall of the inner wrapping or of the pack container is provided with an opening tab defined by perforations and/or punched lines. This tab is fastened by means of glue to the inside of one end wall of the outer wrapping made of foil. Usually, an upper part of the outer wrapping, that is to say a top part, is removed with the aid of a tear-open strip which runs all the way round. The opening tab is connected to this top part. When the top part is taken hold of, the opening tab is pulled into the opening position while remaining connections are broken.
The invention can be used especially advantageously in a pack with an opening aid according to DE 198 02 800.8.